Garment

ABSTRACT

A garment provided with sleeves and having inserts set into the sleeves at the points of joining to the body of the garment constructed to provide ventilation under the arms. Each insert is of a stretch textured mesh fabric, such as knitted fabric, and provided with eyelets which expand or open up as the sleeve is raised to channel air into and out of the underarm portion of the body. The insert is of one piece and extends transversely across the mid section of the underarm portion of the sleeve.

O United States Patent [1 1 1111 3,801,987 Thompson, Jr. Apr. 9, 1974 [54] GARMENT 3,153,793 10/1964 Lepore 2/DIG. 1 [76] Inventor: Marvin I. Thompson, Jr., PO. Box FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 670, Knoxvlllet Tenn- 37620 253,387 1/1963 Australia 2/1510. 4 361,815 11/1931 Great Britain... [22] May 1972 446,575 2/1948 'Canada ..2/1)10.1 [21] App]. No.: 254,988

Primary ExaminerA1fred R. Guest 52 us. 01. 2/125, 2/1310. 1 '7 HIM-Bums mane Swecke & 51 1m. (:1 A4lb 1/08 Math [58] Field of Search 2/DIG. l, DIG. 4, 125,

2/90 ABSTRACT A garment provided with sleeves and having inserts set [56] References Cited into the sleeves at the points of joining to the body of UNITED STATES PATENTS the garment constructed to provide ventilation under 2,554,380 5/1951 OIIICII et a1 2 90 afms- Each insert is of a Stretch textured mesh fab- 3937310 6/1962 no, such as kmtted fabrlc, and prov1ded w1th eyelets 317,711 5/1885 which expand or open up as the sleeve is raised to v 397,543 2/ 1889 channel air into and out of the underarm portion of 601,489 3/1898 the body. The insert is of one piece and extends trans- 1339939 9/ 7 versely across the mid section of the underarm portion 1,350,169 8/1920 of the sleeve. 2,343,103 2/1944 3,086,215 4/1963 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures GARMENT This invention relates to, improvements in garments of the character having sleeves set into the body of the garment and nonnally extending downward on opposite sides thereof. An example thereof is a sport shirt.

Attempts have been made heretofore to provide some ventilation of the armpits by the use of mesh fabric which interconnects the sleeve with the body of the garment. In some instances, gussets are formed of perforated cloth between the sleeves and the body portion of the garment. The use of gussets at such points is undesirable becuase of the stress applied thereto in raising or shifting of the sleeves due to movement of the arms, which will not provide the proper and adequate ventilation of the underarm portions of the body.

One object of this invention is to improve the constructionof sleeved garments by, providingfor the ventilation of the underarm portions through flexibility which creates circulation of air at the appropriate regions of the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide for ventilation of the underarm regions through the opening and closing of eyelets with the flexibility of arm move.- ments causing the air to be forced through the mesh fabric in which the eyelets are provided.

These objects may be accomplished, according to one embodiment of the invention by providing an insert under each of the arms, set in the sleeve portion of the garment. The insert is formed of a suitable elastic or mesh fabric which stretches at least in the direction of the length of the sleeve due to raising and lowering movement of the arm and may be a suitable knitted fabric having the rows of loops extending circumferentially around the arm, with rows of eyelets formed between the rows of loops at spaced points across the width of the insert.

The eyelets are initially substantially closed but capable of being opened up due to stretch of the insert as the sleeve portion is raised with respect to the body portion of the garment. This action utilizes the force from stress to transfer the pressure into a useful function rather than to eliminate the stress, thus causing a circulation of air into and about the underarm portions of the body for effective ventilation.

The expansion and enlargement of the eyelets creates ventilation through flexibility. As the insert is stretched, the rows of loops forming the insert are opened and at the same time the eyelets are expanded, allowing freedom of circulation of air therethrough into and out of the underarm portion of the body, thus effecting complete and proper ventilation in these regions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 5 is a plan view of'a portion of the insert on an enlarged scale, with the eyelets expanded.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DISCLOSURE The invention is shown as applied to a garment, generally indicated by the numeral 1. Any suitable or desired character of garment may be used for the purpose in which ventilation should be effected with respect to the underarm portions. A sport shirt is one example thereof which may be of the character of a conventional T-shirt, bowling shirt or of other suitable type.

The garment 1 comprises a body portion 2 having a sleeve 3 connected with each opposite side thereof and with the sleeves normally extending downward'on opposite sides of the body portion. In the customary method of making such garments, the body portion 2 is made of two parts connected together by side seams 4 and sleeves 3are attached to the body portion by side seams 5 whichextend continuously around the respective sleeves 3 in the manner illustrated in FIGS. Sand 4. The sleeve 3 is also provided with a seam 6, usually extending along the underside thereof.

In providing ventilation for the underarm portions of the body in the region of the sleeves 3, each of the latter is cut out at 7 in the lower segment thereof adjacent the inner end of the sleeve. The cut-out 7'may be provided by shaping the garment sleeve portion, as by knitting, so as to form this cut-out portion thereby or a gap in the sleeve but not in the body portion of the garment.

An insert 8, which should be of one piece, extends throughout the area of the cut-out 7 complementary to the remainder of the sleeve 3 within its confines and joined by the seam 5 which connects the sleeve 3 with the body portion 2. A seam is provided also to connect the insert 8 with the remainder of the sleeve 3 along the cut-out edge 7.

Thus, the insert 8 is set into the sleeve and forms a part thereof. It is not a gusset between the sleeve and body portion of the garment and preferably extends in one piece across the mid seams 4 and 6 (FIG. 4) on opposite sides thereof.

The insert 8 is formed of an elastic fabric which will stretch at least in the direction of the length of the sleeve. It should be made of open porous material such as warp knitted fabric and may be of Nylon or of other suitable yarn which will form an appropriate mesh. Material of this character will have rows of loops which should extend circumferentially around the sleeve, and at spaced intervals in the rows eyelets 9 are formed which are initially substantially closed, as indicated in FIG. 2, but are capable of expanding due to the stretch of the fabric, as indicated in FIG. 5.

The rows of eyelets formed at intervals between spaced rows of loops will also extend circumferentially around the sleeve at the inner end of the latter. Raising movement of the arm of the wearer will cause stretching movement to be imparted to the insert in a direction lengthwise of the sleeve which will cause the rows of eyelets to open from the substantially closed relation, as indicated in FIG. 2, to the fully opened condition illustrated in FIG. 5. This also will stretch the knitted fabric so as to open the loops of the porous material, thus allowing freedom of ventilation to the underarm portions of the body.

The enlarging and expansion, both of the porous fabric and of the eyelets creates maximum ventilation. The stress imparted to the insert by the raising movement of the arms transfers the pressure imparted to the insert into a useful function, thus forcing a circulation, not only through the eyelets but alsotthrough the porous fabric, thereby effecting a maximum ventilation. The arms can move easily due to the stretch of the inserts and when the arms are lowered, the eyelets contract. This forces the air circulation throuh the underarm portions of the body and effects complete ventilation through flexibility of the inserts with no trapping of air, but instead effective circulation and thereby effective ventilation of the area.

The size of the inserts and the size of the eyelets therein can be varied as found desirable. For some types of shirts, such as bowling shirts, smaller eyelets may be used, but these will create the needed ventilation according to the activities to be undertaken.

The inserts do not detract from the appearance of the garment inasmuch as they form integral parts of the sleeves thereof without giving the appearance of added structural parts, such as gussets. These inserts may be predyed or dyed with the fabric of the garment so as to conform with the color thereof and thus be substantially concealed when in use.

While the invention has been illustrated and described in one embodiment, it is recognized that variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the invention set forth in the claims.

I claim:

1. A garment comprising a body portion having a sleeve opening on each opposite side thereof, sleeves each having an inner end extending around the sleeve opening, and joined to the body portion about the opening, said sleeve having a cut-out in the body portion thereof adjacent said end, and a non-seamed insert of knitted elastic material secured in said cut-out in the sleeve, said insert having eyelets formed in the knitted material, and spaced over a substantial portion of the area thereof and along the length of the sleeve the eyelets being relatively narrow and elongated circumferentially of the sleeve when the material is relaxed and being stretched substantially to circular shape upon raising movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion for admitting air into the garment.

2. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the insert extends to the inner end of the sleeve and is joined by a seam along one edge thereof to the body portion of the gannent.

3. A garment comprising a body portion having a sleeve opening on each opposite side thereof, sleeves each having an inner end connected with the body portion about the opening by a seam extending continuously around the inner end of the sleeve, and an insert connected between the sleeve and the body portion seam beneath the sleeve, said insert being formed of knitted fabric with rows of loops extending circumfercntially of the sleeve and having elongated narrow eyelets fonned in the rows and spaced over a substantial area thereof the eyelets being elongated circumferentially of the sleeve in positions to open substantially to circular shape upon raising movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion for admitting air therethrough upon said raising movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion.

4. A garment according to claim 3, wherein the insert is in one piece and extends continuously across the mid portion of the sleeve beneath the latter. 

1. A garment comprising a body portion having a sleeve opening on each opposite side thereof, sleeves each having an inner end extending around the sleeve opening, and joined to the body portion about the opening, said sleeve having a cut-out in the body portion thereof adjacent said end, and a non-seamed insert of knitted elastic material secured in said cut-out in the sleeve, said insert having eyelets formed in the knitted material, and spaced over a substantial portion of the area thereof and along the length of the sleeve the eyelets being relatively narrow and elongated circumferentially of the sleeve when the material is relaxed and being stretched substantially to circular shape upon raising movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion for admitting air into the garment.
 2. A garment according to claim 1, wherein the insert extends to the inner end of the sleeve and is joined by a seam along one edge thereof to the body portion of the garment.
 3. A garment comprising a body portion having a sleeve opening on each opposite side thereof, sleeves each having an inner end connected with the body portion about the opening by a seam extending continuously around the inner end of the sleeve, and an insert connected between the sleeve and the body portion seam beneath the sleeve, said insert being formed of knitted fabric with rows of loops extending circumferentially of the sleeve and having elongated narrow eyelets formed in the rows and spaced over a substantial area thereof the eyelets being elongated circumferentially of the sleeve in positions to open substantially to circular shape upon raising movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion for admitting air therethrough upon said raising movement of the sleeve relative to the body portion.
 4. A garment according to claim 3, wherein the insert is in one piece and extends continuously across the mid portion of the sleeve beneath the latter. 